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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · cabinet · wake · court · rest · drill · rule · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. court — of a king
  6. drill — the tool
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spell — letters
  14. rest — a break
  15. court — of law
  16. rule — a law
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rule — government
  23. spell — magic
  24. court — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com